Comparing the Costs of an Airbus ACJ319neo and a Gulfstream G650

We compared the costs of the ACJ319neo to Gulfstream’s G650, and here’s what we came up with.

In this scenario, a G650 goes for $65 million and the ACJ for $95 million. It also assumes that each aircraft is flying 400 hours per year over a period of seven years.

On average, a G650 depreciates at around 8 percent, compared to the ACJ’s 3.5 percent.

If you plan to charter the aircraft, the G650 averages a rate of about $8,000 per hour, while the ACJ commands $15,000 per hour.

Operating Costs

The G650 burns about 473 gallons of fuel per hour, which, at $3.50 per gallon, is $1,665.50 per hour. The ACJ, on the other hand, burns as much as 574.6 gallons per hour. At $3.50 per gallon, that’s $2,011.10 per hour.

As far as airframe maintenance is concerned, the G650 costs quite a bit less than the ACJ, but the reverse is true for engine maintenance. Airframe maintenance for the G650, on average, costs about $380 per hour, while the ACJ averages $1,222.10 per hour for the airframe, but the ACJ’s engine maintenance costs are minimal, and don’t require an engine maintenance program, compared to $680 per hour for the G650. APU maintenance is about $69 per hour for the G650 and $14.20 per hour for the ACJ.

Fixed Costs

We’re also assuming that the annual salaries per pilot are $251,500 for both planes, each of which requires two pilots, and the annual salaries per cabin crew are $129,042, each of which requires one.

Recurrent training for pilots, though, is about $31,600 per pilot per session for a G650 and only $5,000 for the ACJ, whose avionics have remained virtually the same for decades.

Frings benefits and facility manager costs should be identical for each aircraft, but annual hangar costs are about $147,900 for the ACJ and $111,200 for the G650. A computerized maintenance program is also a bit more expensive for the ACJ at $17,250 annually, compared to $9,000 for the G650. One-off start-up costs, in this scenario, are $250,000 for each aircraft.

While the ACJ is more expensive in the short-term, its significantly lower maintenance costs and reduced pilot training makes it just as affordable as a G650 or similar large-cabin business jet over time. To see the numbers that back that statement up, send us an email at sales@wepushtin.com.

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